Combined lamp socket and current tap



July 12, 1927,

w. n E

COMBINED LAMP SOCKET AND CURRENT TAP Filed May 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheer 1 1,635,889 July 12 1927. W. E l

Filed May 19. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

fra-l Kg Patented .Iu'y 12Q1927. l 1,635,889 UNITED STATESJ PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ILE, OI' JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO REYNOLDS SPRING COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COMBINED LAMP SOCKET AND CURRENT TAP.

r `L Appiioation mea my is, 1925. seriaiivq.. 31,438.

' The inventionrelates to a combined lamp the invention 1 designates an insulatingbody socket and current tap. f consistin of a single piece -of molded ma- The object of the present invention is to terial an composed of a sol1d uppenportion provide a simple, durable and comparatively having laterally extending cylindrical en 5 inexpensive combined lamp socket and cur' largements 2 and provided with a hollow cy- 60 rent tap havingan insulating body con- 1 1ndr1cal lowerl portion 3. forming a socket structed of a single piece of molded insulat- Or the reception of a screwshell contacting material and equipped with double 5 WlllCh S adapted l3( IeCelVe an elect-T10. spring contacts which are located in the 4inlamp in the usual-manner. The lower cysulating body bythe terminal conductor lindrical portion is 'provided with an ex 65 bars in assembling the parts of the device. terior bead 6 and exterior screw thread 7 A further object of the invention is to and theupper s olid'portion is provided with provide o, Combined lamp Socket and ourspaced vertical apertures 8 and 9 for the rerent tap provided with means for receiving ception of terminal conductor bars 10` and a plug for enabling the insulating body 11 which project beyond the upper end of 70 which is equipped with projecting terminal .the solid cylindrical portion and provide fingers or blades to be converted intol a Contact .fIlgGISr blades t0 fit in apertures screw plug socket when desired, of a screw plug or in an electric IiXture for With these and other vobjects in view, the enabling the combined lamp socket and cur- 75 0 invention consists" in the construction and j rent tap t0 be electrically connected therenovel combination and arrangement of parte with.- The solid upper portion of the insuhereinafter fully described, illustrated in the la'ng bOdy has molded within it upper and accompanying` drawing `and pointed ont in ,lowerinteriorly threaded bushings 12 and 13 the claims' hereto appended` it being underwhich are provided attheir inner ends with stood that various changes in the form, proa flange 14 fOlmnfl" @head 21H/d Preferably portionand minor details of construction, Corrugated 21S illustrated in Figf? 0f the within the scope of the claims, may be redrawings t0 Securely 81101101' the .bushings l sorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit Within the Ainsulating body and eifectually or sacrificing any o'f the advantages ofi' the Prevent the' bushings from becoming 100s@ invention. e through the rotation of a screw orboltfor In't-he drawings: engaging the saine with the ,bushings and igure 1 is a longitudinal seetio'naliview in disengaging the screw or bolt therefrom.

of a combined lamp socket and current tap The solid cylindrical bod-y is provided at cpnstrnoted in accordance. with this inven; 'thetopwith a reduced cylindrical extension tionZ 15 which is capped 'by a screw plug when Fig. 2 is a side elevationeof the same. applied to the present device. The blades Fig. 3 is an edge view Showing one of the or fingers 16 are tapered at their ends at laterally extending` cylindrical extensionsin '173ml are Provided with OPPOSGIY flared end view. 'apertures 18 to enable them to engage with g5 F1g.,4 1s a horizontal Sectional vie/w on protuberances o r co-acting contact portions the line of Fig. 1. of a screw plug or other fixtures. The up- Fig. 5 is a reverse plan view of' the lamp per interiorly threaded bushing is adapted socket and current tap, to receive a bolt for securing a screw cap Fig. 6 is a plan View of the screw Shell .or plug extension to the device and the lower 100 contact. ushing receives a screw 19 which pierces a Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the intecenter contact 20 and secures the same to P10113 thl'paded bushings. the insulating body. I .Y ig. 8 is a deail perspective'vie-w of one The terminal conductor bar 10 is providof the double transverse sprlng contacts. `cd at its lower end with an arm 21 arranged 105 Fig. 9 is a plan view of the upper insulatat right angles to the b'ar. and located in a ing dis-k. recess 22 in the top wall of the socket or Fig. 10 is La similar view of the lower incompartment formed by the hollow cylindrisulatingl disk. Y I cal portion 3 of the'body and secured by a n theaccompanying drawings in which rivet 23 to the flange 24 of the shell Contact 110 material is fitted against the lower face of the arm 24 of the conductor bar 11l and is provided with a recess-27 to receive the arm 21 of the terminal conductor bar 10. lThe arm 21 of the conductor bar 10 is arranged in substantiallyfiush relation with the up-I perI disk 26 and a lower insulating disk 28 is interposed between the center contact and the flange 24 of the shell contact 5. The center contact 20 is constructed of a single strip or piece of metal which is bent to form an upper attaching portion and a lower contact portion which is provided with a cup shaped end 29. The lower contact portion is adapted to be bent out of the way 1n asto the sides.

sembling the parts and in screwing the bolt 19 into the lower bushing and after the parts are assembled the lower contact portion of the center contact is bent back into position and its resiliency will enable it to make proper contact with a lamp. The upper disk 26 and the flange '24 of the contact shellmay be preferably provided with perforaf tions 30 and 31 for the reception of a rivet or other suitable fastening device for securingthe said parts together to assist in assembling the device.

The upper solid portion of the insulating body is provided with spaced transversely disposed horizontal apertures 32 for the rieception of double transversely disposed contact springs 33 each provided with a central approximately U-shaped bend 34 of angular formation composed of parallel sides and a 'connecting portion arranged at right angles The double contact springs form" open-sided reccsses which fit the terminal conductor bars as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings and the contact springs are placed in posi-,p

tion before the terminal conductor bars are assembled and when theterminal conductor bars are placed in the longitudinal apertures ot the insulating body they are passed through the central angular bends of the double contact springs and locate the same in the transverse openings 32 of the insulating body. The side portions ofthe double contact springs are bent Aback upon themselves to provide resilient inwardly extend- -ing contact fingers 35 arranged at acute angle to the body portions of the springs at opposite sides of the central bend and proy vided with protuberances 36 for engagement central bends 34 of thel the respective transverse openin with terminal lingers or blades of alamp Y socket or other fixture. The apertures 32I which extend entirely throu h the solid cylindrical upper portion of t e insulating body are adapted to receive the said terminal fingers or blades of a lamp socket or the like at either. end of the said transverse openings 32 and the double contactsprings will enable a pair of such lamp sockets to beconnected with the device at opposite sides of the same as will be readily understood in addition to receiving a lamp Within its lower hollow cylindrical portion.

The end face of each lateral extending cylindrical enlargement 2 is recessed as shown at 37 and the end face is provided with curved groves 38 located within the recess 37 and connecting the transverse apertures 32 land adapted `to enable a pair ofblades or fingers with the double.contact springs of the transverse openings 32.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A device of the class described including an insulating body having spaced longitudinal openings and provided also with spaced transverse openings intersecting the longitudinal openings and communicatin therewith andat their ends -opening throng said body, double contact springs arranged in the transverse openings, each consisting of a strip of flat material bent intermediate its ends lto form an open-sided recess and straight alining portions extendin in opposite directions from the open si e of said recess, said oppositely directed portions being bent back upon themselves intermediate that there -will be no trouble in engagingthe blades or sidedrecesses of the contact springs for clamping the closed s'ide of the recess ofA each contact spring against the adjacent wall of secure the contact springs in re atively ed position in the insulating body.

2. A device of the class described including an insulating body consisting of a solid upper cylindrical enlargements, said body bein also provided with 'a hollow cylindrica portion having laterally extendingV whereb to lower portion, the said upper portion being Y provided with spaced longitudmal openings and havingr horizontal openings extending longitudinally'of the lateral extensions an openin through the ends of the latter, upper an lower bushings embedded in the upper portion of the insulating body,terminal conductor bars arranged in thelongitudinal openings and projecting from the upper end of the body and provided at their lower ends with arms, a contact shell secured to the arm of one of the terminalV conductor bars, a center contact, a bolt piercin the center contact and the arm of the ot er terminal conductor bar and engaging the lower threaded bushing, an upper insulating disk interposed vbetween the shell contact and the arm which is secured to the lower bushing, said disk being provided with a recess receiving the arm of the other terminal conductor bar, a lower disk interposed between the shell contact and the center contact, and

contact springs arranged in the transverse openings and engaged by the terminal conductor bars, and reta-ined in place by the same.

3. A device of the class described including an insulating body having spaced longitudinal openings and provided also with spaced transverse openings intersecting the ininal contact portions and longitudinal openings and communicating,

therewith and opening at their ends through said body, a bushing embedded in the body between said transverse openings and spaced therefrom, double contact springs arranged in the transverse openings and having terprovided between the contact portions with intermediate angular bends located at the longitudinal openings ofthe said body, through the longitudinal openings and arranged in and conforming to the configuration of the said intermediate bends of the contact springs for locking the latter in the transverse openings and each provided with an arm at its inner end, a center contact, a screw piercing the center -contact and one of the said arms and having working fit with said bushing, af shell contact secured to the arm of the other conductor bar,` and insulating disks arranged above and below the attached portion of the shell Contact.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM ILE.

conductor bars passing 

